schneidah wrote:IIRC, Deanna Swoboda was on F exclusively during her time in Dallas Brass. It was the only horn she had for the majority of her first year at Western Michigan U. as well.
In an interview in the old TUBA Journal, Gary Ofenloch reported that Kilton Vinal Smith, the predecessor to Chester Schmitz in Boston, played F exclusively. Of course, that was a while back...
I played only an Eb when I first arrived in Saigon. It was all I had. Vinal Smith did do everything on an F. He retired some 40 years ago and has since passed away. He is probably the only person who could use that word NEVER.
I have seen Deanna play other instruments than the F.
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I discovered Eb tuba about the time I began to play tuba in a rock group.
I like it. A bass guitar is pitched in "E" and a bass tuba is pretty close.
If the rhythm guitar player you boogie with is a nice guy, he will work with a capo on the first fret-putting you in sweeter keys. Some of the "lots-o-sharps" keys are not bad for intonation.
I curently play everything on MW 45slp with a PT83 mouthpiece.I use various other mps to approx CC or BBb and a small Herrick custom to go Berlioz small.Dave Mills, Charlotte(NC) Symphony
tubatooter1940 wrote:I discovered Eb tuba about the time I began to play tuba in a rock group.
I like it. A bass guitar is pitched in "E" and a bass tuba is pretty close.
If the rhythm guitar player you boogie with is a nice guy, he will work with a capo on the first fret-putting you in sweeter keys. Some of the "lots-o-sharps" keys are not bad for intonation.
And a 3-valve BBb tuba, not counting false pedal tones, is exactly the same as a conventional 4-string bass guitar with low E nat as the limit.
schneidah wrote:
In an interview in the old TUBA Journal, Gary Ofenloch reported that Kilton Vinal Smith, the predecessor to Chester Schmitz in Boston, played F exclusively. Of course, that was a while back...
I played only an Eb when I first arrived in Saigon. It was all I had. Vinal Smith did do everything on an F. He retired some 40 years ago and has since passed away. He is probably the only person who could use that word NEVER.
Actually, Vinal Smith did play something besides F tuba. Prior to becoming tubist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he was bass trombonist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Before Chester became the tuba player with Boston, the tuba chair was almost always ocupied by the previous bass trombonist and was required to play F tuba. You'll have to consult Koussevitzky documents as to the reason why.
City Intonation Inspector - Dallas Texas "Holding the Bordognian Fabric of the Universe together through better pitch, one note at a time."
Practicing results in increased atmospheric CO2 thus causing global warming.
tubatooter1940 wrote:I discovered Eb tuba about the time I began to play tuba in a rock group.
I like it. A bass guitar is pitched in "E" and a bass tuba is pretty close.
If the rhythm guitar player you boogie with is a nice guy, he will work with a capo on the first fret-putting you in sweeter keys. Some of the "lots-o-sharps" keys are not bad for intonation.
And a 3-valve BBb tuba, not counting false pedal tones, is exactly the same as a conventional 4-string bass guitar with low E nat as the limit.
Much as I would like to have access to additional lower range, I am an old guy and weight is a bigger consideration every day.
Dr Joe Skillen at LSU plays a Kurath F exclusively and does not even own a contrabass tuba
Marty Erickson at Lawrence and UW-Milwaukee plays a Willson Eb exclusively and does not even own a contrabass tuba
I am not quite full time, but I only play a Willson F tuba. Don't even own a contrabass tuba and don't know if I ever will.
Andy Larson-DMA
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Professor of Low Brass, Seminole State College
Paramedic Intern, Seminole State College
ED Tech, Halifax Med. Ctr.
Vol. Fire Police, Volusia County Fire Rescue
Tuba teacher, performer, composer, artist http://www.vimeo.com/larsontuba
Brent Dutton the Tuba professor at San Diego State uses a Besson Eb compensating Tuba for everything (Tuba Studio, Westwind Brass, subbing in the San Diego Symphony).
I could hear him playing from down the street when I used to go over to his house on weekends for lessons (I don't think his neighbors ever complained). A wonderful musician and a great Tuba player.
Tubaguyjoe wrote:Here in Stuttgart we have a teacher for BBb tuba and a teacher for F tuba...you find that sort of thing here in europe I think more often.
Am I right in thinking that some orchestras in Germany even have two separate players for F and BBb tuba?
Im not so sure ive heard of that being the case. There are often 2 tubists hired full time in the major opera houses. I'm sure they work it out between one another. I can't imagine a tuba player ONLY playing on BBb or F tuba your entire career. Here at the school they label it simply as "BassTuba Lehrer" and "KontrabassTuba Lehrer". I still can have a lesson on F tuba with the Kontrabass Teacher. I simply play what I am working on for the teacher that is there...sometimes it's on BBb tuba, sometimes on F.
Stuttgart Hochschule fuer Musik
Tubist-Junge Deutsche Philharmonie
Aushilfe-Stuttgart Opera
I did buy the Willson F based on the fact that I needed onlyone horn. I knew I wouldn't be able to afford 2 tubas. I knew that I prefer the chamber and solo setting over large ensembles. Not to say that I wouldn't be playing in large ensembles. I have been playing in Wind Ensemble and Orchestra for 2 years while getting my Master's degree.
After 2 years of playing only bass tuba, I don't see the NEED for a contrabass tuba. I definitely feel that an audition is winnable on only a bass tuba. Once that position is had, I don't see playing Ride or Fountains for a concert on a bass tuba. But, for my applications (solo/quintet/other small groups/jazz) bass tuba is the way to go.
Andy Larson-DMA
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Professor of Low Brass, Seminole State College
Paramedic Intern, Seminole State College
ED Tech, Halifax Med. Ctr.
Vol. Fire Police, Volusia County Fire Rescue
Tuba teacher, performer, composer, artist http://www.vimeo.com/larsontuba
I don't know if it was his only tuba or if he plays it exclusively, but the tuba player used an F tuba for the entire performance at the last symphony concert I attended (lesser known group from a small-ish city, tubist from a nearby university). Whether it was the player, the horn, the music, or some combination of the two I will never know but on "Firebird" there was no real tuba foundation to speak of. As to any bass-tuba-only-pros...I have no idea.
